Bahrain will soon appoint an Implementation Minister to follow up on steps taken related to the National Commission report.

The commission reported on the implemetnation of Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) recommendations following the unrest last year.

The report was presented to His Majesty King Hamad yesterday by the commission chairman Ali Saleh.

"The government will appoint shortly a minister with a support team to follow up and ensure that steps taken so far and those that will be taken meet the words and spirit of recommendations," said officials.

Some of the key recommendations implemented by the National Commission are:

SECURITY SECTOR REFORM

* New office of the Inspector General in the National Security Agency (NSA) and making it an intelligence only agency

* Updated police documentation to ensure appropriate procedures are followed at the time of arrest

* New Code of Conduct for police based on international policing, independent Ombudsman for the Interior Ministry and establishment of an Internal Affairs Department

JUDICIAL REFORM AND DUE PROCESS

* Transferring jurisdiction in all investigations into death, torture, abuse and mistreatment from the ministry to the Public Prosecution

* Special trials for medics convicted by the National Safety Court and 15 of the 20 medics accused will stand before a medical ethics board

* Dropped all charges against 334 people related to freedom of speech

* Special training programme for prosecutors with the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences and the American Bar Association

SOCIAL POLICY, EDUCATION AND MEDIA

* Amending university-by-laws on disciplinary measures to ensure they meet international standards

* Signed MoU between Education Ministry and Unesco International Board of Education to reform school curriculum

* Independent French media experts to reform media governance and training and programmes to increase participation of all political groups

* Code of ethics for journalists drafted by the Bahrain Journalists Association

ACCOUNTING FOR PAST ACTIONS

* Prosecutors charged 48 officials in 121 cases of deaths, torture and mistreatment

* National Victim's Compensation Fund to receive requests for those affected by deaths, torture, mistreatment and other issues

* New unit empowered to hold people responsible supported with a senior public prosecutor, independent criminal investigators and newly-created senior independent investigations counsellor

* Created a special investigatory unit within the Prosecution to determine accountability of those in government, who committed unlawful and negligent acts

RECONCILIATION

* Launched social reconciliation initiatives such as One Unity campaign aimed to engage Bahrainis in society
* Construction of 12 places of worship and reinstatement of all public sector employees
* Reinstatement of all students not convicted of violence

The 531-page report with supporting documents is available online at www.biciactions.bh - TradeArabia News Service